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Wolves go wild for watermelon

Wolves eagerly follow staff members as they bring watermelons filled with tasty treats into a compound for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground.
By John Terhune

Kathrine Schulze
6:38 p.m. EDT July 5, 2014

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Wolves eagerly follow staff members as they bring watermelons filled with tasty treats into a compound for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat.(Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier, John Terhune/Journal & Courier)Buy Photo

The wolves of Wolf Park feasted Saturday on watermelons filled with everything from cheese to dried beef liver.

In addition to the 10 wolves, each of the coyotes, gray foxes, red foxes and bison also enjoyed their own watermelon during the 14th annual Watermelon for Wolves at the park in Battle Ground.

"Nobody's left out of the fun," Laura Hale, a volunteer of six years, said.

Stands full of onlookers watched as volunteers passed out watermelons to a pack of three wolves, all of which are siblings from the same litter. The crowd laughed as the 2-year-old wolves ran off with their spoils.

"One of the things that we do try to do here at the park is enrichment," Hale said. "Part of our mission is, if we are going to have captive animals, to try and make their existence as high quality as possible."

She said the watermelon event is a fun way for everyone to invest in keeping the animals' lives interesting.

Campers helped fill and distribute the watermelons.

What goes in the watermelons is a combination of tried-and-true treats and more experimental cuisine.

"It's kind of whatever we have on hand," Caity Judd, a volunteer of 11 years, said. "A lot of visitors and sponsors will bring us things throughout the year, so this is one way we use to distribute it evenly with all the wolves."

Judd said not everything the wolves got are things wolves eat in the wild, but wild wolves will experiment with odds and ends as they find them. Since the captive wolves are used to more experimental foods, they like it when they're given something unusual.

"We will give them a little less tomorrow when they're actually fed their proper meal," Judd said of how the watermelons fit in with their diets. "They can have plenty of extra treats and they just won't eat as much in their next diet."

Kyle Mills of Lafayette came with his wife and children to watch the action.

"It's pretty neat," he said, citing that he liked the educational part of the event.

"Trying to make awareness," he said. "Trying to, not necessarily save the wolves, but making awareness and making people educated on these great creatures."

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Resident wolf Kanti enjoys a watermelon filled with tasty treats during Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as the wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Wolves eagerly follow staff members as they bring watermelons filled with tasty treats into a compound for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Youngsters fill watermelons with tasty treats in preparation for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Resident wolves Kanti and Bicho wait anxiously for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party to start Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Fiona watches as guests gather for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Bicho stops to look a spectators assembled for Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Fiona, foreground, along with Kanti and Bicho trot through the compound prior to the start of Wolf Park's Watermelon Party Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Wolf Park near Battle Ground. Spectators watched as wolves feasted on the watermelons. Other animals at the park, including bison, coyotes and fox, also enjoyed a watermelon treat. John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier